Association principle

Principle

I mentally connect things together, and then automatically
follow the links I have made.

How it works

The connected brain

One of the fundamental ways in which our minds work is to link things
together. If I say 'elephant' your mind will immediately start thinking 'what's
that like?', charging off on a butterfly series of associations, for example
leaping to 'circus', 'clown', 'fool', 'king' and so on.

If, however, I can control how you associate, I can lead you in any direction
I choose. The trick of this is to follow the natural tendencies of the mind,
leading you along the rutted paths that already groove your thinking.

Association is, to some extent at least, the opposite of the contrast
principle (or perhaps a contrast is an automatic association). Instead of
highlighting something by showing you something else which is different, it is
about seducing you through things which are similar, or related in some way.

Emotional association

Emotions are very often associated with events, and the strength of the
emotion is what makes that even significant in our memories. Emotional memories
come to mind more easily and so continue to occupy our attention.

Phobias happen this way. I see a spider as a child, I am terrified. Now,
whenever I even hear the word 'spider', I feel fear. This association of emotion
with words and events is accentuated if others feel emotion at the same time. If
my mother was also scared of the spider (or maybe was the first to feel fear),
then the phobia will only be made stronger.

Prior thought

If we have recently
been thinking about something, then that thought, or even related items will
come to mind more quickly. This is the power of
priming, where we a simple
seed of an idea or thought can flower and 'mysteriously' come to mind later,
basing later thoughts.

Cognitions fade and a thought or memory that happened a long time ago may
also affect current thinking but will be less effective than recent thoughts
unless it is emotionally significant or has been reviewed recently (so making it
a recent thought).

There are many ways
we make errors in decision-making and association with what has recently or more
distantly been considered is a fundamental force.

Short-cuts

A connected society

As a species, we have found it advantageous to live in groups where we can
share the tasks of living. However, this comes at a price: to be accepted, we
have to obey the social rules. It also leads to non-stop competition within the
pecking order as we seek a mate, esteem and social power.

Even when we stand next to someone we do not know, we feel connected in some
way. If they are famous or powerful, we feel a reflected glory. If they are
socially undesirable, we feel tainted and will ignore them or move away.

Anchoring

In the Anchoring
and Adjustment Heuristic, any prior information provides a tethering anchor
point from which we do not stray to far. This is because we have associated the
choice with the first possibility we find. Negotiators use this when they
use methods such as the
highball or the
lowball tactics.

Conditioning

Conditioning is based on the principle of association, where associating a
natural, (unconditioned) stimulus with an artificial (conditioned) stimulus can
lead to the artificial stimulus being just as effective as the natural stimulus
in creating the same response.

Self-improvement

Assumption also works on yourself. If you act as if you are powerful, you
will feel more powerful. If you act as if you are happy, then you will actually
get happier.

So what?

So connect things. Connect people with their
needs and wants. Connect what
you want with what they want. Connect what is already accepted with what you
want to be accepted.

You can connect in time, starting with things with which they cannot
disagree, and following immediately with things of which you want to persuade
them.

One of the most powerful things you can do is to connect personally -- from
them to you. They will then follow you. You can get them to connect visually,
for example making yourself look powerful and attractive. You can connect
emotionally, getting them into a buying frame of mind before presenting what you
have to sell.